Community Troop Designs Board Games
On November 16, 2023, during a bi-weekly troop meeting, third grade girls at St. Helena Elementary in Norfolk completed the final requirements of their Board Game Design Challenge, part of a STEM badge series on mechanical engineering. Together, over two meetings, the troop researched popular board games, explored the elements of what makes up a game, and discussed what kinds of materials they would need to bring their own board game visions to life.
This group of third graders are experiencing the amazing benefits of being Girl Scout Brownies thanks to their school’s ongoing partnership with Girl Scouts of Colonial Coast’s (GSCCC) Community Troop program. GSCCC’s Community Troop Program aims to serve all girls regardless of their circumstances, bringing programming directly to the places girls already are, like after-school programs. Norfolk Public Schools Media Specialist Nancy Stinson and GSCCC Community Troop Manager Tameika Serrano are giving these Brownies exciting opportunities to grow within the four pillars that build the foundation of the Girl Scout Leadership Experience: Outdoors, Life Skills, Entrepreneurship, and, in the case of this badge series, STEM.
The troop’s engineering skills were put to the test as they worked to translate their sketches into working models. Girls uncovered challenges along the way and came up with creative solutions, just like inventors and engineers do, to complete their designs and build fun, playable games! The confidence and know-how that each girl earned along with her new badge is priceless. This is just one of many reasons why the Community Troop program is so important.
Girl Scouts believes that all girls deserve the opportunity to develop into tomorrow’s leaders, and when girls participate in Girl Scouts, they benefit in five important ways:
- They develop a strong sense of self;
- They display positive values;
- They seek challenges and learn from setbacks;
- They form and maintain healthy relationships; and
- They learn to identify and solve problems in their community.
The Community Troop Program serves girls in grades K-12. Approximately 1,000 girls participate annually and all girls in the program come from communities within our Council.
